A Tale of Monsters and Men
by FrankiKaos
Summary: Sequel to How To Survive The End Of The World, takes place during the third season of TWD. The winter bought the group closer together but it also took a toll on them, leaving them on the run and on the brink of starvation. Finding the prison might just be the answer to their prayers... But for Lizzie, it's only the start of her nightmare- and this time, it isn't the dead she fears
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Well hey there everybody! If you're returning to my writing, I wanna say a big WELCOME BACK and if you're new to this then have a big HELLO! Either way, I hope you enjoy where I'm going with this story (set in the third season of the show, if you haven't figured that out already) and I appreciate any reviews/messages that you want to send. Anyway, big thanks to everyone coming here to read this, I look forwards to hearing your feedback =)**

* * *

The light had faded fast, plunging them into darkness as the walkers had approached. There had been shouts of confusion, screams of terror and cries for help before engines had roared to life and they had made their escape... All except for Lizzie.  
"Guys?" She called frantically, her voice echoing in the woods surrounding her, "Hey, **guys**!"  
She spun around, squinting into the inky blackness, trying to make out a shape, any shape, that she might recognise. She flailed out wildly, trying to catch hold of somebody, anybody, as her heart began to pound.

"**Daryl**?" She shrieked, her voice catching in her throat as the emotion began to wash over her.  
As she swung her arm around in front of her, she felt it connect with something. As she flexed her fingers, she realised she was holding a shirt of some kind and she felt a small stab of hope hit her heart.  
"Daryl? That you?" She asked shakily, trying to draw them in closer so she could get a better look.  
No sooner had she leant in to try to identify her companion, she heard the sound of a snarl rising in their throat and the familiar stench of rotting flesh clogged her nostrils- she'd grabbed hold of one of the walkers.

Letting out a strangled cry, she quickly drew her hand away and spun on her heel, making a break for it while she still could. Running through the darkened woods wasn't the best idea she'd ever had but it sure as hell beat standing there until she was eaten alive.  
_Shit, how many of those things were there? _She asked herself as she ran, her hands splayed out before her, pushing herself away from the trees as she felt them beneath her fingertips, _which way were we even goin'? Hell, which way did we even **come** from?  
_She let out a yelp as her foot caught on something- maybe a root or a fallen branch, she wasn't sure- and she went down hard, narrowly avoiding smashing her face into the ground.  
_An' where the **fuck** did everybody go? _She let out a quiet sob as she pushed herself upright, feeling a twinge of pain shoot through her leg as she took a step forwards.

She took a moment to rest, leaning on a tree as she lifted her injured leg, trying to rotate her ankle gently to fight the pain. When she heard shuffling feet approaching her she knew it was time to move on.  
_C'mon Lizzie, time to fuckin' move! _She couldn't keep her previous pace, the pain in her leg shooting through her at every step, and she began to stumble blindly, biting her tongue to stop herself from shouting out- not that it mattered, the walkers had her scent and they would follow her until they caught her...

_Why is it always **me** that gets left behind? _She thought viciously, her bottom lip beginning to tremble with a mixture of hurt and anger. She stopped again, scrunching her eyes shut and biting the inside of her lip.  
_Not now,_ she reminded herself, scowling in the dark, _survive now, cry later.  
_With those words of encouragement to herself, she set off again, moving as quickly as her injured leg would allow.

* * *

After what seemed like a lifetime of limping furiously through the darkness, the snarls and ragged breathing of the walkers that pursued her never too far behind, Lizzie stopped and squinted- there was a light flickering up ahead.  
As she frowned with concentration, she realised that the light was coming from a window- there was an abandoned house hidden in the woodland and someone had raised the corner of a curtain, peering out into the darkness with what looked like a candle in their hand.  
"Sonofabitch," Lizzie muttered, recognising the silhouette at the last minute before it disappeared back behind the curtain, leaving only a faint glow to help guide her towards her destination, "jus' you wait 'til I get to you Daryl Dixon, boy, are you gonna regret runnin' off an' leavin' me!"

She hobbled forwards, picking up the pace as much as she could, grinding her teeth against the pain as she tried to put some distance between her and her followers. Without warning, she felt her leg slam into something heavy and she let out a startled cry as she fell forwards, again, into the darkness. She found herself draped over the back of Daryl's motorcycle, having bumped into it in her hurry, and she struggled to wriggle her body to the floor so she could push herself upright again.  
After brushing herself down hurriedly and cursing the man she loved, she made her way towards what she hoped was the front of the house and pulled herself up the steps, using the railing to take the weight off her leg as best she could.

She paused for a second outside the screen door, trying to level her breathing- she knew her man was in there but he might not be alone, the last thing she wanted to do was charge in unannounced, breathing like an asthmatic cheetah. When she felt she had better control over her heart-rate, she pulled the screen open quietly and tried the door, wincing as it creaked at the sudden movement.  
When it was open enough for her to slip through, she eased herself inside, letting the door close behind her and leaning on it for a few seconds, listening as carefully as she could for any sound of the approaching walkers. When none reached her ears and no unwanted visitors tried to force their way inside, she let her arms drop and turned around, blinking viciously as if it would help her eyes adjust to the darkened interior.

_Y'always knew the day'd come when you wished you'd eaten your carrots, _she thought with a faint smile.  
As she looked around her immediate surroundings, she thought she could see a small table next to the door- a closer inspection with her fingers proved her observation correct and she pulled at it gently, dragging it in front of the door and pushing it right up against the wood.  
_Ain't gonna stop the army of darkness gettin' inside, but at least I get a heads up if they try, _she thought as she shrugged, turning around again and taking a tentative step forwards.

"Liiiiiiiizzieeeeeee..." She let out a gasp as the whisper echoed through the dark corridors and she froze, the hairs beginning to stand up on the back of her neck as she saw the faint, flickering glow of a candle from the end of the hallway.  
"Daryl?" She called tentatively, "Baby, if you're tryna gimme a scare, you're doin' it right, okay?"  
She watched as the glow began to diminish, as if Daryl (was it even Daryl she was speaking to?) was walking away from her, and faltered for a second before she began to cautiously follow the light, keeping her right hand pressed against the wall as she tried to will herself to walk properly, rather than take baby steps.  
"I swear to God if it's you I'm gonna kill you dead for freakin' me out." She muttered angrily.

"Liiiiiiiizzieeeeeee..." She began to walk a little faster, trying to keep up with the light so she wouldn't find herself plunged into darkness again.  
When she reached the end of the hall, she turned left into what appeared to be the sitting room, gazing around at the dark shapes of the furniture, straining her eyes to make sure nothing was moving around them. When she was sure that there was nothing more sinister lurking in the shadows, she began to pick her way carefully across the room, keeping her left hand pressed against the wall as best she could.  
_Hope nothin' goes jumpin' out at me now, _she thought, feeling the weight of her axe on her back and the small sheath that she now carried on her belt, holding a knife, _everythin's on my good side an' my good hand is kinda occupied..._

A scraping noise reached her ears and she stopped, her heart pounding in her chest as she held her breath- _the fuckin' door! _A few seconds of painful silence passed before she heard the first telltale sounds of the undead approaching- there was a rasping breath followed by a strangled moan and, as they pushed their way through the door, their uneven footsteps echoed down the hall towards her.  
"Oh shit." She whispered, weighing up her options quickly- she couldn't turn back, the walkers were behind her, and if she went further into the house, she could find herself trapped...

A bump from above her head snapped her back to her senses and she frowned as she glared at the ceiling. _Better go an' find out what my dumb-fuck of a boyfriend is playin' at an' if he's gotta plan to get the hell outta here before we get eaten alive._  
Lizzie took a deep breath, nodded to herself and began to move- her leg was still aching with each step but she couldn't afford to let that slow her down, not now they were in the house with her. She'd lost the light, Daryl had already made it up the stairs without her but as she rounded the corner she realised the stairs were to her left- the corridor before her must have lead to the kitchen or a bathroom, she didn't bother taking a look, she needed to find her man.

She scrabbled up the stairs, taking them at a crawl so she could use her hands, easing the weight from her leg and making her progress a lot quicker- she was certain the walkers had made it to the sitting room, it wouldn't be long until they found the stairs and followed her scent.  
When she reached the top, she pushed herself upright and scanned the doors in front of her before she turned around and smiled- she could see a faint glow coming from the other end of the hall, where there was only one door.  
_Bingo, _she thought with a smile, inching around the rail at the top of the stairs as she limped towards the light.

"Daryl?" She hissed as she pushed the door open, peering inside, "Daryl, we gotta go, we got company..."  
As she stepped inside, she stopped. Daryl was standing in front of the window, staring out into the darkness, seemingly oblivious to her presence.  
"Daryl?" She frowned when he didn't move at all, "Daryl, areya even listenin' to me, we gotta **go**!"  
"We ain't goin' anywhere." He said quietly, his voice sounding unusually rough.  
"What the hell're you **talkin'** about?" She said, exasperated, as she took a step towards him, "there're walkers in the house, we need to move..."  
She reached out and laid her hand on his shoulder, drawing it back quickly as she felt something damp on his shirt. She squinted at her hand, not sure what it was that she was looking at. Daryl appeared to be turning around and the candle he held illuminated the blood that covered her fingers.

"Jesus Daryl, you're **bleedin'**! Are you...?" She began, feeling the panic rising inside her at the thought of him being bit. She raised her head and looked up at him, the concern etched on her face.  
When she saw his greying skin beginning to decay, loose flaps peeling from his face, exposing the white of his skull, she opened her mouth to scream but the sound got caught in her throat.  
"Ain't goin' anywhere Lizzie," he repeated, smiling ghoulishly in the candlelight, "'cept maybe to hell."

She tried to push him away but he was too quick, grabbing her arms and dragging her towards him as he lowered his head towards hers. She let out a choked sob and tried to turn away, not wanting this thing to touch her, wondering what had happened to the man she had loved, when he had turned without her knowing.  
"Daryl, please...!" She began, the tears flowing down her cheeks.  
"Too late baby, too late, you did this, you gotta live with it, you gotta die for it..." He snarled as he sunk his teeth into her neck.

Lizzie tried to scream but her throat was filled with blood and all she could do was gurgle in protest as she felt the life slipping away from her...


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl Dixon stirred in his sleep, a frown passing over his features as consciousness began to return to him. He blinked a few times, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness, finding the pale light that filled the room inadequate.  
He pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around, quickly counting the sleeping bodies that were scattered around, making sure none of the group were missing. He saw T-Dog perched on a chair by the door, watching him as he woke up.  
"Started about five minutes ago," he said quietly, "figured I'd wait a little, see if you woke up."

Daryl let out a deep sigh and nodded, turning his attention to the figure lying beside him- Lizzie was moaning a little, letting out the occasionally whimper as she rolled around. The nightmares had started up about a month beforehand, coming to her once the fever hit. They'd spent a couple of weeks alone, keeping away from the rest of the group as they slept, hoping to give them some undisturbed rest and avoid drawing any unwanted attention to the whole party. Once Lizzie had shook off the worst of the illness, they'd returned but it hadn't been long until the rest of them realised that the dreams were there to stay- they gave her a wide berth when it came to settling down for the night, it had been known for her to lash out unexpectedly.  
He had been there, every night, positioned between her and the door- just in case anyone or anything got inside- listening out for the first hint of disturbance, ready to wake her up and save her from whatever it was that was haunting her.

"Lizzie." He said softly, kneeling down next to her and rolling her over so she was lying on her back.  
She hadn't tied her hair up before she'd gone to sleep and it fanned around her head, only just reaching past her shoulders now- something Daryl hadn't been all too happy about when he'd seen Carl standing there, holding a knife in one hand and five inches or so of Lizzie's hair in the other.  
"Lizzie," he repeated, shaking her shoulder gently, leaning in close to her so his voice didn't disturb the others. Her face was screwed up, he wasn't sure whether it was with pain or fear, and she began to whimper, "Lizzie! Dammit girl, wake up!"

Suddenly her eyes shot open and she drew in a breath ready to scream. Daryl slipped one of his hands behind her neck to support her as he lifted her slightly, clamping his other hand firmly over her mouth to silence her.  
"Hey, it's me, I'm here, okay? We're all here; it's only a dream..." He looked down at her as she trembled slightly, her eyes still wide and unblinking, "Lizzie?"  
She blinked, exhaling deeply as she suddenly zoned back in. When her eyes focused on Daryl, studying his face for a second, making sure she wasn't still dreaming, she nodded.

As he removed his hand from her mouth, she smiled up at him- her million dollar smile that made his heart melt just a little- and he couldn't help but smirk back at her.  
"Bought me back again Mr Dixon," she said, her voice croaking a little, "what'd I do without you?"  
"Ain't never gonna find that out so it don't matter," he shrugged, moving backwards as she pushed herself into a sitting position and ran her hands through her hair, yawning as she began to wake up, "what were you dreamin'?"  
"Believe it or not, I don't even remember," she lied, shrugging and plastering a fake grin on her face, "so I really was makin' all that fuss over nothin'!"

He eyed her suspiciously for a moment, he'd noticed that every time he questioned her dreams, she told him she didn't remember and he figured she was lying. When she continued to beam at him he sighed and shrugged, realising that tonight wouldn't be the night she told him.  
She felt a twinge of guilt as Daryl looked away. There was no reason for her to lie to him but she still did... She figured it was a matter of pride- she didn't want to hear anyone, least of all him, say that 'it was just a dream'.

"Hey..." She said quietly, reaching towards him and stroking his face, forcing him to look at her again. She held one hand against his cheek, running her thumb across his lips as the other stroked his hair- it had grown a little over the winter and she had to admit that it looked good on him... And it sure was great to grab hold of.  
He looked at her for a long moment, watching as she studied his face, smiling at whatever it was she liked so much about it. He loved her, more than he'd ever loved anyone or anything before, and he could see that she felt the same- there was something in her eyes when she looked at him, something she didn't need to express anymore.

"Do I need to say it?" She asked, smirking a little.  
"I already know." He answered as he shook his head.  
They smiled at each other before moving in for a kiss. Their lips only met briefly but it was enough to make Lizzie's heart start beating that little bit faster. She tried to pull away but Daryl had slid his hand around the back of her neck and he pulled her in closer, intensifying their kiss. When she felt his tongue brush against her lips she almost jumped him then and there... Until she heard T Dog clear his throat loudly from the doorway.

They pulled away from each other steadily, unsure whether they should be laughing or feeling embarrassed. It was Lizzie who turned and scowled at T.  
"What's your problem?" She asked, pulling a face.  
"Get a room." T sighed, shaking his head.  
"Looks like it's gonna hafta wait." She muttered, turning back to Daryl and smiling.  
"S'always worth the wait." Daryl smirked.  
Before she had a chance to answer him, there was a muffled thump from outside. Daryl rose instantly, reaching for his crossbow and picking his way carefully across the floor to peer through the window.

Lizzie stood, her axe still resting on the floor, her new shiny toy- a mean looking machete that was a hell of a lot easier to strap to her belt and carry- firmly in her grip, and watched as Daryl scanned the garden below- another thump had reached her ears. There had been a lot of debate about where they were going to sleep, some had wanted to stay downstairs so there would be an easier escape route if they were discovered but the bed upstairs in the master bedroom had been in great shape and was just what Lori, who was now heavily pregnant and fit to burst, needed. Rather than split the group in two, they'd all opted to stay upstairs- safety in numbers and all that jazz- with someone on guard duty at all times, just in case.

"I don't see anythin'," Daryl reported as he made his way back over to where Lizzie was now standing beside T, "but we oughta check it out, jus' in case."  
"I'll come with," Lizzie said instantly, nodding to him and looking up at T, "if we find anythin', we'll sound the alarm."  
"What's the alarm?" He asked so he knew what to listen out for.  
"Screamin'," she said grimly, "lots an' lotsa screamin'."  
"Be ready to move 'em outta here," Daryl said as he nodded to T before turning to look at Lizzie, "you ready for this?"  
"Damn straight," she nodded, stepping up behind him, "I gotcha back."

They made their way across the landing as quietly as possible, listening out for any further noises- the strange, muffled thumping kept repeating and once they reached the top of the stairs, a louder, splintering sound reached their ears before one final crash.  
"What're you thinkin'?" Daryl asked, pausing at the top and looking at his woman, waiting for her consent to descend.  
"The fence in the yard?" She shrugged, "Walkers coulda sniffed us out, knocked it over somehow."  
"What if it ain't walkers?" He asked, watching her face for a reaction.

Since the whole debacle of Randall back at the farm- sometimes, when she thought about it, it seemed like a lifetime ago- Lizzie had maintained her stance on killing people... And that stance was that she wasn't going to do it.  
As if Shane hadn't been example enough of why killing people was bad, she'd seen what it had done to Rick- their steadfast leader had crumbled, almost broken, under the weight of the guilt. He'd pushed his friends, his own family, so far away from himself that she wasn't sure if they'd ever all get back to being how they used to be.  
Did she want to live like that? Did she fuck. Killing zombies was good, killing people was bad.

"Then why'd they knock the fence down when they coulda jus' climbed up an' over it?" She asked.  
Daryl wanted to argue, he wanted to tell her to go back and wake the others and send Rick over, they'd take care of it... But he knew there was no point. She was stubborn as an ass and she was probably right, no use getting into an argument over nothing.  
Instead, he held his tongue and nodded, pulling out his flashlight and motioning for Lizzie to do the same, before they began to edge their way down the stairs.

"Left or right?" He whispered when they reached the bottom.  
"I'll take the right," she replied, deciding to head towards the kitchen at the back of the house, where the noise had most likely been coming from, "watch yourself, y'hear?"  
He gave her a look that implied that it shouldn't be him she was worrying about- her reckless streak still shone through every now and then- and moved away, keeping his light firmly on the floor, leaving her standing there alone.

She thought back to her dream and shook her head- nothing was going to happen to Daryl. They'd been bunking in this house for about a week now and, so far, it had proved fairly safe- there were still walkers in the surrounding area, but it's positioning on the outskirts of the little estate it was on seemed to deter them somehow.  
She heard movement from upstairs, hushed voiced conferring and the sound of people stirring. At least everyone was waking up, just in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

She edged towards the kitchen, keeping the light angled at the floor to make sure she didn't alert anyone- or anything- outside to her presence. The curtains had been torn down when they arrived so the windows had been blocked with various pieces of furniture and spare sheets. It didn't allow for a lot of light to get in but the moon was bright, so visibility wasn't too bad... The torch, she realised, was mostly for peace of mind.

There were no signs of disturbance inside and, when she reached the kitchen, she let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.  
_Ain't nobody here but us chickens, _she thought to herself, switching the flashlight off and sliding it back into her back pocket.  
She stood quietly for a moment, listening for any signs of Daryl- nothing. _Must've been a false alarm, _she thought, frowning slightly, _but what was alla that noise...?_

She heard something hit the window and she whirled around, grabbing the flashlight again and shining it towards the glass. The light glared back at her and she swore under her breath, flicking it off again and staring in disappointment- there was a walker looking back at her.  
Within a few seconds, two more had joined it and she heard more shuffling along outside the house, bumping up against the door and the walls, trying to get in.  
"Oh shit." She muttered, backing away.

She turned to hurry back upstairs and warn the others and let out a shout of surprise as she ran straight in to Daryl.  
"Jesus woman, keep your fuckin' voice down!" He hissed, "We got company!"  
"You fuckin' think?" She snapped, "What're you doin' sneakin' up on me?"  
"I saw 'em movin' out there, was comin' to make sure you were okay," he explained, looking exasperated, "seein' as they know we're in here now, we better get the others an' get the hell out."  
"It ain't my damn fault you scared the shit outta me," she growled, jabbing him in the chest with her finger, "maybe if you didn't smell so fuckin'' bad they wouldn'tve picked up on our scent!"

He opened his mouth to argue with her but the sound of splintering wood reached his ears and he shook his head instead, grabbing her wrist and dragging her back towards the stairs.  
"I ain't got time for this," he growled, pushing her towards the steps, "go get the others, tell 'em we're leavin'."  
"Daryl? Lizzie?" Rick called, already halfway down the stairs, "What's goin' on?"  
"Gotta make a move," Daryl explained, "they found us."  
"Hey, where're you going?" Rick asked as Lizzie pushed past him.  
"To get the others." She said over her shoulder.  
"They'll be **fine**, we might hafta fight our way out, we'll need you to..." Rick began.  
"So I'll send Glenn an' Maggie down to you," she said, turning to look at him, "I'm gettin' the kids... An' your **wife**."

Rick didn't argue with her. Instead he turned back to Daryl and drew his gun, motioning for him to follow towards the front door.  
"What's goin' on down there?" T asked as Lizzie reached the top.  
"Walkers," she said quickly, "we gotta go."  
"Hey Glenn, come gimme a hand!" T shouted as he headed towards the stairs.  
"It's times like this I wish we had some coffee." Glenn muttered as he stumbled past Lizzie, Maggie right behind him.  
"My dad..." Maggie began.  
"I'll get 'em outta here, don't worry." Lizzie nodded, winking at her friend.

"How many are there?" Lori asked as Lizzie entered the room. She was clutching her belly protectively.  
"It's hard to say," she answered honestly, "too dark out to see, you got everythin'?"  
"Everything we've got left." Hershel said, his arm wrapped around Beth's shoulders as he herded her towards the door, shotgun in hand.  
"Hey Lizzie, don't forget Dorothy!" Carl said as he held her axe out towards her.  
"I'm as likely to forget **her** as I am to forget **you**," she said with a grin as she took the axe from him, replacing the machete in its sheath. She swung the axe in her hand, getting the feel of it back before she turned and nodded to Carol who had stepped up beside Lori, "let's get the fuck outta here."

She stooped to get her backpack as the women hurried past her and she slung it over her shoulder, looking down at Carl.  
"Alright my man," she nodded, "let's make sure they get outta here safe."  
"Yes boss." He grinned, letting her steer him out the room.  
She looked down for Daryl's things but they were already gone- Carol had, no doubt, picked them up for him. She rolled her eyes, refraining from making a comment in front of Carl.

Their vehicles were parked right by the door, all unlocked- no one had been sure whether that was a good idea seeing as anyone could come along and loot through them or even hotwire them but it seemed like a better idea than fumbling with the keys when a horde of zombies was descending upon them.  
"They aren't around the front yet," T reported, calling over the heads of the others to Lizzie, "haven't figured out how to open the gates!"  
"Give us a chance to make a run for the cars," she replied, turning her attention to Carl, "go to your mom, make sure she stays safe, okay?"

She followed the group outside, watching as they scrambled to the vehicles, all knowing which one they needed to get into- it was a drill they'd had to repeat a lot more than any of them would have liked, but that was the way of things now.  
The roar of Daryl's motorcycle approaching took her attention and she turned to close the front door behind her, noticing the puzzled look on his face when she turned back.  
"Habit." She shrugged, swinging her pack around to her front so she could stow her axe before she climbed onto his bike.

As soon as she was settled, he pulled away from the house, swinging around to make sure everyone was ready to go before he accelerated away in front of them, leading the way out of the estate.  
Lizzie let out a sigh and rested her head on his back.  
"I really smell that bad?" He said suddenly, having to almost shout the words to her to make sure she heard.  
"Yeah," she called back, "but I guess I'll get used to it."  
"Best do," he warned, "coz I don't wash for **no** woman."

She laughed to herself and squeezed him slightly before she nestled against him as they rode into the night, doing what they did best after a whole nine months of practice, doing the thing Lizzie had promised not to do anymore... Running.


	3. Chapter 3

They hadn't rested again that night. It had only been a couple of hours until the sun had began to rise and in that time they'd cruised around other housing areas, trying to find somewhere to stop... But there were always dozens of walkers littered around, stopping them.  
It wasn't that they couldn't fight- they'd had enough practice the previous summer and the winter had given them all time to hone their skills, even Beth and Carol were able to throw their weight in the group now, the only person who really needed protection was Lori.

"We're stoppin'." Daryl said suddenly, pulling Lizzie out of her thoughts.  
He pulled his bike around in front of the three vehicles they'd kept hold of and Lizzie clambered off as elegantly as she could- which turned out to be not very, seeing as she'd been sitting there, half asleep for the last few hours and her legs seemed to be somewhere else.  
"S'up?" She asked, stretching so hard she heard her joints pop.  
"Gonna check this place out," Rick said, nodding to Daryl, "see if we can rest up a little, find something to eat."  
"I'll hold the fort," Lizzie sighed, watching as her man followed Rick and T before Carl scuttled after them, "like usual."  
"Lizzie!" Lori shouted from one of the cars, "You got a second?"

Lizzie had taken the role of Lori's protector in her stride. Carol was her friend, the one Lori spoke to about this and that and everything else and Beth was always there to lend a hand but it was Lizzie who she'd look to in a fight.  
She partly felt responsible for her safety due to her connection with Carl. He'd grown up a lot over the last few months, he'd had no choice, but every now and then, when they were alone, he'd let his guard slip a little and she'd see him as the child he still was. Most of the time now he followed his father and Daryl's lead- killing Shane had only been the beginning for him, now he was a sharp shooter and he'd even saved Lizzie's ass a couple of times.

Then there was Rick. The good cop, the man they all looked to... Their new, cold leader. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened between him and his wife but after Lori found out the truth about Shane's death, she wouldn't speak to him.  
This went on for three or four months until Rick just seemed to wake up one day and no longer care that his wife was angry at him. They'd both been existing together in some sort of limbo since, Lori trying a little harder every day to reconnect and Rick being somewhat indifferent to her attempts. Even Carl no longer looked to his mother for comfort now. It was almost like they'd outgrown her.

"What's up?" She asked, automatically looking at Lori's bump, reaching her hand out to pat it delicately, "Everythin' alright with you two?"  
"We're okay," she smiled weakly, "I was just worried about Carl... You think it's safe for him, running in after his dad all the time? I thought that was something you'd rather..."  
"Look, Lori," Lizzie began awkwardly, "Rick's the man to talk to about shit like that. I'd be first in every time if he'd let me but he's got Daryl to watch his back an' I guess Carl can hold his own, y'know?"  
"I don't, actually, he always seems to be around **you**." She said acidly.

Lizzie didn't know what to say to that. A few choice things crossed her mind but she chose to bite her tongue- there was no use arguing with a pregnant woman. Lori saw the emotions cross the other woman's face before she sighed and went to walk away and she felt a pang of guilt.  
"Lizzie, I'm sorry," she said quietly, shaking her head, "I'm just tired and cranky and... Pregnant."  
"I know," she sighed, hearing this explanation for the thousandth time, "it's jus' outta my hands, okay?"  
She watched as Lori deflated a little and nodded sadly, leaning against the car as Carol walked over, offering her support.  
"He'll come around you know?" Lizzie said, trying to sound a lot more positive than she felt, "In his own time."

She'd felt a little guilty as she'd watched their family unit fall apart. Not because she'd had anything to do with it- although Carl was by her side more and more and she'd often seen Lori giving her reproachful glances- but because as she'd watched them drift away from each other, her and Daryl had only gotten closer.  
When he wasn't out with Rick being his right hand man (or "bitch" as Lizzie preferred to call it) they would find an excuse to wander off together and hunt or train or, on occasion, fuck.

He'd tried wearing her down about her "no guns" policy but it hadn't got him very far so, eventually, he'd had to accept it. Then began the training- he picked up the machete, found it in a tool shed on one of their runs, and insisted she try it out for a change. Then he'd given her one of his spare hunting knives, telling her to keep it on her at all times. He'd sent her out on hunting trips with Carl, giving her his crossbow so she could prove herself to him. She was almost the zombie killing equivalent of Buffy.

He'd tried to teach her a little more in the hand-to-hand department- not so much for the walkers, more for the possibility of coming up against any human enemies- because her only experience was bar brawling, and even then she'd been the one trying to get in the middle and stop the fighting.  
This is where the problems had started- he'd be trying to teach her how to throw him over her shoulder, then next minute they'd be rolling around in the dirt, tearing each others' clothes off. Any physical activity just turned into sex, they couldn't help themselves... Or, to be more accurate, Daryl just got too easily distracted and Lizzie was more than happy to indulge him in some earthly pleasures rather than try to wrassle with him.

She left Carol to see to Lori and moved over to where Glenn and Maggie were standing.  
"Still giving you a hard time?" Glenn asked, nodding towards Lori.  
"I swear to God if you impregnate this one an' make her so fuckin' cranky; I'll chop your fuckin' dick off." She grinned as she motioned to Maggie.  
"Lizzie!" Maggie shrieked, trying to repress a smile, "My dad'll hear!"  
"Your dad already heard," Hershel chuckled, "next time we find some soap, I'll use it to wash your mouth out."  
"You think soap even exists anymore?" Beth asked, picking at her dirty shirt with disgust, "I'd give **anythin'** for some clean water an' some nice soap."

It was true- they were all looking a little grubby nowadays. Everyone looked a little skinnier, a little older and a little more dishevelled as the days went by. Haircuts were needed- Lizzie had only got hers after a walker had snuck up on her, grabbed her hair and got itself a little tangled up- and a few close shaves here and there wouldn't go amiss.  
Clean clothes were the thing Lizzie missed most. Back at the farm she'd had a whole drawer full and she could wash them anytime she wanted... Now she had a measly backpack that only held her emergency change of clothes and a spare pair of shoes.

Her winter clothes- a pair of jeans she'd scavenged from a store, a t-shirt of hers and a jumper, along with her boots- were neatly tucked away. Her summer clothes weren't too different, consisting of her favourite jeans- with the knees no longer intact and other patches tearing through- and a couple of different coloured tank tops- she'd salvaged a checked shirt too, just to make it look like she was wearing something different every once in a while- along with her trusty Converse and the now infamous garish green hoodie tied round her waist.

"S'alright for you," Lizzie smirked, "you're still young an' beautiful so your dirty clothes don't matter too much... When you get to my age..."  
A sharp whistle sounded and they all turned to see Rick standing in the doorway. He gave a nod, signalling the all clear, and Lizzie turned back to Beth.  
"I think Rick saved you from another 'when I was your age' rant." She grinned.  
"Remind me to thank him later." She grinned back, making her way to the back of the car to fetch their supplies.

Glenn and Maggie had already gone around back to join the others so Lizzie went back to Lori and held out her hands.  
"Load me up." She ordered.  
"Are you sure?" Lori asked, "I don't want to burden you..."  
"Way I see it, more I help you out durin' the pregnancy, less likely y'are to ask me to babysit," Lizzie explained as she took Lori's bag of essentials and grabbed a couple of boxes to hopefully fill with more supplies, "I ain't too good with kids, teach 'em too many bad habits."  
"You're great with Carl, bad habits aside," Lori smiled, "and I bet you helped out with your sister."

Lizzie faltered slightly. The mention of her family no longer caused such a rush of pain that it felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped on her, but it still hurt, especially when it was Belle.  
Returning home to her family to then have each and every one of them turned so she was forced to kill them? Not one of her happiest memories. Her sister's death had been especially brutal and it still pained her to think of it.  
_It wasn't your sister, it was her reanimated corpse, you had to do it, _she reminded herself again, _you're a survivor Lizzie, gotta do whatever it takes right?_

"I'm sorry," Lori said quickly, noticing the shadow that passed over Lizzie's face, "I shouldn't have mentioned..."  
"It's fine," Lizzie said brightly, giving her a big, fake smile, "not a problem, really," she turned on her heel and headed for the house, "better get inside before any more walkers come."  
Lori stood and watched her go before she turned to Carol.  
"Did I say too much?" She asked the older woman, looking concerned.  
"I wouldn't worry about it." Carol replied casually with a shrug.

Lori sighed a little, following Carol towards the house. She appreciated everything Lizzie had done for her and wished she had a better way of showing it other than being cranky. She knew her attitude must be tiring at times but Lizzie always persevered and stuck around- which is more than she could say for her husband or her son. As she entered the house, she smiled thankfully at Rick but he barely even looked at her. Her heart sank and she slunk into the sitting room, ready to take the weight off her feet and have something to eat.

Everyone was settled down in the main room, perching wherever they could. Lizzie had taken a chair by the window next to T, who kept peering through the glass to make sure they were still alone. The other men hadn't made their way into the room yet and she grabbed Carl's wrist as he ran past her.  
"Where're you runnin' off to?" She asked.  
"Gonna try to find some food," he explained, "we could all so with something to eat."  
"Make sure you save yourself the best, right?" She grinned, letting go of him and watching as he disappeared through the doorway.

She sank into the chair a little, rubbing her face and yawning. The days were getting harder; everyone was struggling more and more to find the motivation to even get up in the morning. The whole dead coming back to life thing had only meant to be a small problem, something the military could have stopped or the hospitals could have found a vaccine for... Now it was turning into a way of life, they were part of the land of the undead, rather than them being a part of the land of the living.

She let out a yelp as something feathered suddenly landed in her lap and everyone turned to look at her. Daryl was standing next to her grinning as she stared down at the dead owl with disgust.  
"What the fuck Daryl?" She snarled as she poked the bird, making sure it was well and truly dead.  
"Found it upstairs," he shrugged, trying to suppress his grin, "figured we could eat it."  
"What part of **eatin'** the damn thing involves **throwin'** at me?" She asked, scowling up at him.  
"Clean it up woman," he ordered, flopping down in the seat beside her, "s'what you're **supposed** to do right?"

Her initial reaction was to give him a good smack but she was all too familiar with what that would probably lead to- and a sitting room full of people really wasn't the time nor the place for such things. Instead, she bit her tongue, glared at him one last time for good measure and set about trying to clean the bird up, starting with the feathers.  
She ignored Maggie's smirk as she watched her friend- the non-domestic, city-dwelling bar-owner that had turned her back on her rural roots- as she began to tear the feathers from the owls body.

Carl scuttled back into the room and dropped to the floor, lining up a few cans that he'd managed to scavenge. Lizzie noticed the bleak looks that the group gave him when they looked at his spoils and she took a moment to take a proper look at the cans. She caught Carl's eye for a second but he looked away, digging through his bag to find a tin opener.  
_We're starvin', _she reminded herself, _a lil' dog food ain't no hardship._

Rick strolled into the sitting room, staring around his people before he frowned down at the cans beside his son. He bent to pick one up, looking at it hard for a few seconds before he hurled it across the room.  
"Could be worse." Lizzie muttered.  
"We aren't animals," Rick replied, "we aren't eatin' like them."  
Daryl kicked her quickly, watching as she opened her mouth to argue. When she turned to glare at him, he frowned and shook his head, succeeding in silencing her- last thing the group needed right now was another flare up between Lizzie and Rick.

"Heads up," T said suddenly, tapping the glass lightly to catch everyone's attention, "we got company."  
"Time to move," Rick said assertively, "let's go people."  
"Here." Lizzie said, holding the owl out to Daryl as he stood.  
"Put it in your bag, you can finish it off when we stop next." He shrugged, walking away from her before she could argue.  
"Oh, hell," she growled, stuffing the dead bird into her backpack, a look of disgust plastered on her face before she stood and moved to Lori's side, holding out her hand and helping her to her feet, "c'mon, momma, let's getcha outta here."

Everybody snapped into action as Lizzie helped bundle Lori's possessions together, handing her a couple of lighter things to carry to make sure that she felt useful.  
"You ready?" Daryl asked, pausing for a second.  
"Yeah," she answered, smiling at him, "go ahead."  
She watched as he hurried towards the back door, leading the group outside, hoping to get around the approaching walkers before they'd even registered their presence.  
"Alright ladies," she said, addressing Lori and Carol, "let's get outta here."

She took the lead- something she tended not to do so much now, preferring to stay back and let Lori lead the way so she could keep an eye on her- and followed T out the door, trotting down the steps and pausing at the bottom to let Lori run past her.  
Carol stopped to let her go but she shook her head, motioning to her to go first.  
"Bringing up the rear?" Carol asked quietly, smiling slyly, "How fitting."  
"Go fuck yourself." Lizzie smiled right back, fighting the urge to tackle Carol to the floor and beat seven bells of shit out of her.

She let Beth and Hershel move past her before she started moving again, leaving just Rick behind her.  
She hurried towards Daryl's motorcycle, making a quick stop at the red pick-up to throw Lori's things into the back, quickly scanning the crowd to make sure everyone was accounted for.  
"C'mon," Daryl called, patting the seat behind him, "we ain't got all day!"  
"I love it when you get all bossy on me," she smiled as she slid on the seat behind Daryl, wrapping her arms around his waist, "I think we're overdue a little me an' you time, don't you?"

"Read my fuckin' mind," he grinned, starting up the engine, "now don't distract me, gotta make sure we get outta here without bein' eaten alive."  
"You wanna be eaten alive? Jus' you wait, boy, jus' you wait." She sighed happily, nuzzling against his back.  
_All things considered, _she thought with a smile, _my life could be hella worse.  
_

Unbeknownst to Lizzie, tomorrow would find her reconsidering.


	4. Chapter 4

They were forced to stop their convoy a few miles down the road. They'd left the house in such a hurry, they hadn't had a particular destination in mind- they just knew they needed to get away and get away quick.  
As soon as the vehicles stopped and their engines were off, everyone began to mill around- they'd learned to work together, keeping an eye out for each other so that they remained as safe as possible.  
They needed to think of something quick but they were running out of options and they knew it.

"Where we headed?" Lizzie asked as she followed Daryl towards the lead car, leaning over the hood slightly to get a better look at the map Maggie had laid out.  
"We're runnin' out of places to go," Maggie admitted, looking up at her and shrugging, "but we gotta take a chance on somewhere, try to get outta the open before dark."  
The walkers had severely multiplied over the winter- the freezing conditions seemed to have taken their toll on other survivors and those who weren't lost to the cold had fallen to attacks that they were too weak to defend against. Not only had their numbers risen, but so had the sheer volume of them- they were beginning to herd together more often, making it a nightmare trying to cut a path through them.

She listened to the others throw a few ideas back and forth and sighed, pushing herself away and heading towards Carl. Her voice had been lost in the crowd nowadays, since she'd started trying to keep an eye out for Lori, it was like she'd suddenly lost her opinions... And her skills.  
"What's the plan?" Carl asked as she stopped next to him, never taking his eyes off the road in front of them.  
"Beats me," she shrugged, "they're gonna argue over where to go, what to do, an' we'll jus' get swept up in it all like always."  
"Bitter much?" He asked with a little snort.  
"Cheeky much?" She snapped back, nudging him with her hip playfully.

"Lizzie?" Hershel called, "Come over here a second."  
"Fuck a duck," she muttered, widening her eyes as she looked down at Carl, leaning towards him as she lowered her voice so the others wouldn't hear, "I'm bein' summoned by someone that **ain't** your mother!"  
"She really appreciates it, you know?" He said suddenly, taking her by surprise, "So do I."  
"S'why I do it." She smiled, grabbing his chin and tilting his head upwards a little so she could stoop and plant a kiss on his cheek. She looked over her shoulder as she walked away and saw him wipe at the wet patch she'd left.

"What can I help you gentlemen with?" She asked as she stood besides Hershel and Rick.  
"How's Lori doing?" Hershel asked.  
_Huh, _she thought sourly, trying to keep the smile on her face, _shoulda figured this actually wasn't nothin' to do with me.  
_"Well, y'know, as you'd expect a nine month pregnant woman to be doin' in the middle of the zombie apocalypse," she shrugged, "she's starting to tire, she's fit to bust, ain't gonna be long now 'til we've got a screamin' lil' bundle o' joy."  
"She can't take much more of this movin' about." Hershel said, patting Lizzie on the back as if she'd done him some sort of favour.

"What else can we do? Let her give birth on the road?" Rick asked.  
"You see a way around that?" Hershel asked before he walked away.  
_An' once again you find yourself standin' right there, bein' ignored! _Lizzie thought, rolling her eyes.  
"Way I see it?" She ventured, clearing her throat, "We'll deal with it whatever, s'what we do right?"  
"I hope you're right." Rick nodded, turning to look at Daryl as he approached.  
"Need her for anythin'?" He asked, pointing to Lizzie, "Thought we might go out, try to get some huntin' done."  
"She's all yours." Rick shrugged, not seeing Lizzie as she rolled her eyes at his quick dismissal.

"What's your problem?" Daryl asked as they made their way into the trees.  
"What the fuck happened to me?" She asked angrily, "Back at the farm, I was like the go-to girl for all sortsa shit... Then **winter** happened an' I decided that Lori might need someone to keep an eye on things seein' as her damn **husband** ain't interested and **bam**, I'm jus' some glorified babysitter that don't fuckin' **matter** no more."  
"Is there a right answer for me to say here?" He asked, sensing that whatever he said was going to be the wrong thing.  
"Jesus Daryl, I dunno," she said, the sarcasm practically dripping from her words, "maybe somethin' like 'hey Liz, y'ain't useless at all an' we all know this babysittin' gig is jus' temporary.'"  
"What you jus' said." He shrugged, moving ahead of her in the vain hope that it would shut her up.

"Thanks for your fuckin' support." She grumbled, slicing through the undergrowth with her machete.  
When he didn't reply, she sighed, standing still as she held the blade between her knees and rubbed her face, reaching behind her head to pull at the elastic band that held back her hair. She let out another sigh as she shook it loose, sheathing her weapon, and began to move towards Daryl.

He could hear her stomping up behind him and he pulled a face. Her tantrums were few and far between but when she went off on one, there was no stopping it until she'd run out of steam.  
He felt her hand on his arm, her nails digging into his bare skin and she pulled him around to face her and, with speed that surprised him, she reached round with her other hand to grab the back of his neck and force his head down so she could kiss him.

He drew in a deep breath as their lips were pressed together, trying to collect his thoughts. They hadn't checked their surroundings thoroughly enough to know how safe they were, the others were littered somewhere in the same trees between the cars and the river and if they didn't go back to them with at least a couple of squirrels each, everyone would know that hunting hadn't actually been on the agenda.  
He pulled away quickly, letting out his breath and starting to talk.  
"Shut up," she snapped, cutting him off before he'd even started, "I'm a woman on the fuckin' edge an' I need to let out some of this damn aggression before I pop!"

"What, here?" He asked, running all the reasons they shouldn't through his head and ignoring every single one of them.  
"No, over there on that damn railway," she said, pointing over his shoulder, "might not be no trains comin' along but it's still a little dangerous, a little exciting."  
"Ain't got much time," he warned, allowing himself to be pushed backwards, "they'll wanna move on soon an' they'll be expectin' dinner."  
"Trust me," she said, "it ain't gonna take long."

She kissed him again, pressing herself against him and feeling a slight rush of triumph as she heard the sound of his crossbow hitting the dirt. She felt his arms around her as his tongue brushed against her lips and she tasted the oh so familiar taste of him in her mouth.  
He felt her hook her leg around his and she suddenly shoved him in the chest, forcing him to break their kiss as he fell over backwards, hitting the ground with a thud.

"The fuck're you playin' at?" He asked, unable to keep the grin from his face as he watched her undo her belt, letting it and her weapons drop to the floor before she started to slide her jeans down her thighs.  
"Don't take that tone with me, I know you like it," she cocked her eyebrow at the evidence that was currently straining against his jeans, "I'm kinda fed up of bein' ignored an' treated like I ain't important, wanna take some of the power back an' feel a lil' more... In control."

"That right?" He asked, grinning as she fell to her knees above him and began undoing his jeans, her tongue poking out the corner of her mouth as she concentrated.  
"You got somethin' to say about it?" She asked as he raised his hips from the floor, letting her tug his jeans down his legs a little, "Don't look like you're complainin'."  
"Jesus woman," he growled, closing his eyes as she slid up his body slowly and took hold of him, ready to guide him inside. He took hold of her hips and tried to push her onto him, "jus' stop your talkin' an' get on it already!"

"This one ain't your show," she smiled, pushing herself down so he slid inside her before she took hold of his wrists and pressed them to the floor, leaning over him as she began to rock herself back and forth, "so you jus' lie back an' relax, yeah?"

* * *

"I feel like I'm in one of those ol' Western movies," Lizzie said with a smile as she lay on the tracks next to Daryl, "y'know, those ones where the bad guy'd go tie some poor damsel in distress to the railway an' the hero'd hafta come along an' save her before the train came?"  
"Never really watched many movies," Daryl shrugged, "didn't have a TV at home an' Merle always had better things to do than sneak into the theatre with me."  
"If we ever find a workin' movie theatre, I'll sneak in with you." Lizzie grinned as she looked over at him.  
"What did I do before I found you?" He asked sarcastically as he looked at her.

She began to laugh and it set him off. They lay there chuckling together for a few seconds before he slapped her still bare thigh.  
"C'mon, if we don't go back with somethin' to eat, they'll know what we've been doin'." He said as he pushed himself up.  
"I think they already do." She grinned, pushing herself into a kneeling position in front of him and nipping his penis gently, making him hiss.  
"Don't start these games," he warned, swatting her away as she giggled, "I gotta pee."

"An' you let me put my mouth near it? Eww." She scowled, wrinkling her nose as she stood and pulled her jeans up, wriggling them back over her hips and looking at the ground for her discarded belt.  
She picked it up and looked over at Daryl- he was adapting the stance. She wrinkled her nose again and turned away, walking back towards the tracks and beginning to follow them through the underbrush as she fastened the belt again.  
"Where're you goin'?" Daryl called.  
"Jus' checking ahead, lettin' you pee in peace." She replied, not turning around.

The trees gave way a little further in front of her and she felt her curiosity piqued- the sound of running water had reached her ears and she figured she was near the river. _Wonder if the others are down by here, _she thought, walking forwards with a little spring in her step, _I hope they didn't hear anythin' they shouldn'tve...  
_She laughed to herself at the thought, wondering just how many times through the winter they'd heard something they shouldn't have. Daryl and her had always tried to keep quiet and put enough distance between them and the others that they'd go undisturbed but there had been a few occasions where they'd nearly been caught and even some where the urge had been too much and they'd just had to have each other there and...

As she exited the trees, she lost her trail of thought. Her eyes widened in surprise and she felt her mouth drop open a little as she looked across the river.  
"Oh shit," she whispered to herself, her heartbeat quickening in her chest as her face broke out into a smile and she spun around, "Daryl! Hey Daryl!"  
"The hell areya shoutin' about woman?" He called back, stomping towards her as he scanned the area around them, making sure she hadn't drawn any walkers to them.  
"You better come on over here an' have a look," she replied, her smile nearly splitting her face in two, "I think I found somethin'... I think I found somethin' **good**!"


	5. Chapter 5

"So, whaddya think?" Lizzie asked, watching Rick's face as he scanned the prison.  
"I think this is a good find." He replied, looking down at her and smiling, watching as her face lit up at his praise.  
"I was thinkin'," she said as casually as she could, "that those towers? They might have some weapon caches or somethin' inside," she shrugged, "maybe they'll have a map or somethin' that we could use to scope out a canteen or a med station... They might have some supplies we could take."  
"I'm thinking more long term," Rick said, looking from Lizzie to Daryl, "maybe more permanent."

"**Permanent**?" Lizzie asked, sounding unsure.  
"We've been running all winter, moving around as much as possible so we don't get caught out," Rick explained, turning to face her, "it hasn't exactly been **easy**, has it?"  
"I never said it had," she replied defensively, "I'm jus' not sure that a damn **prison** is such a good idea."  
"They're built to make sure no one gets out... That means it should stop anything getting in." Rick countered.  
"Hello? Are you not seein' the undead horde that're already in there?" Lizzie asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Look at them, they look like they're all inmates, that means they didn't get in and they can't get out." Rick said with a slight smile, his mind already made up.  
"So we jus' go on in, kill 'em all an' move in?" She asked.  
"You're telling me you want to skip this fight?" Rick asked, raising his eyebrows, "Lizzie turning down a chance to throw down with the walkers?"  
"Oh gee, you twisted my arm," she said with a grin, rolling her eyes dramatically, "so what's the plan, boss?"  
"Let's head back to the others, find a way down there and see if we can get through the fence," he said, the authority in his voice reminding Lizzie why he was the one who called the shots, "then we take it from there."

She watched as Daryl and Rick shared one of their nods- something they did way too much nowadays if you asked her- and then began to follow them back towards the road.

* * *

"You took your time," Maggie grinned as she saw Lizzie approaching, "wonder what you two could've been doin' out there?"  
"We were **huntin'**." Lizzie replied with a smile.  
"What did you catch?" Maggie challenged, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows.  
"We didn't get chance 'fore Rick came along an'..." Lizzie began.  
"Rick came along too huh? You hussy!" Maggie laughed.  
"Who's a hussy?" Glenn asked, looking over the hood of the car at the two girls. He nodded and smiled to Lizzie before turning his gaze on Maggie, "Figures."

"The hell do you mean 'figures'?" Lizzie cried, desperately searching for something to throw at him.  
"Kids please," Lori said with a smile as she looked over at them, "simmer down."  
"**They** started it." Lizzie said, sticking her tongue out at the others.  
"You ready to go?" Daryl called, motioning for Lizzie to come over.  
"Lover boy's calling, best not keep him waiting." Maggie smirked.  
"Fuck off." Lizzie grinned.  
"Where're we going anyway?" Glenn asked, looking around at the others as they packed up their things.  
"Home." Lizzie replied with a smile.

* * *

They made it down to the prison with little incident, all moving as quietly as they could through the trees. They'd left the cars at the roadside, wanting to be sure that the prison was secure before they moved all their things down there, and made their way on foot.  
Lizzie had hung back with Lori for a while before Carol had offered to take over, freeing her up to move ahead and catch up with Daryl and Rick. When they reached the treeline, Rick stopped them.

"We gotta move fast," he said quietly, so as not to attract any attention, "I'll cut through the fence, then we all get inside," he looked at Glenn, Maggie and Lizzie, "you three keep any walkers away from us, don't let them get too close."  
"Got it." Lizzie nodded.  
"When we get inside, we need to get the fence closed up, make sure nothing else comes through," he instructed, "then we figure it out from there, understood?"  
Everyone either nodded or muttered their agreement and Rick seemed satisfied. He turned back to the prison and set off across the grass at a run, closely followed by the others.

Lizzie hung back a little, making sure she kept Lori, Beth and Hershel in her sights, and swung her axe at an approaching walker, slicing through its skull neatly.  
She watched as Rick made short work of the wire fence, stepping aside to let Lori enter as Glenn and Maggie took care of another approaching walker.  
"C'mon," Daryl hissed, "everybody in!"  
They filed in quickly, each stepping aside to let the next one through until only Rick remained outside.  
As soon as he slid through the gap, Daryl and Glenn began to thread a wire through the links, pulling it tightly so they closed behind them, separating them from the walkers both inside and outside the prison.

"Well, this is cosy." Lizzie muttered as she watched the walkers begin to stumble towards them, roused by the sudden addition of live flesh.  
Daryl took the lead, running along the walkway, towards the main gate, glancing at the walkers as they threw themselves against the fence, desperate to feed.  
The group came to a stop as the walkway ran out- some sort of truck was toppled on its side on the other side of the gate- there would be more than enough room for them to get past but it still sent a shiver down Lizzie's spine... She couldn't tell if it's placement was to keep the things out, or to keep them in.

"This is perfect," Rick said quietly, scanning their new surroundings, "we shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard... We can pick off these walkers, we'll take the field by the night."  
"How do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked.  
"I'll do it, you guys cover me." Glenn offered.  
"No," Maggie said, shooting him down, "it's a suicide run."

"Woah, woah, woah," Lizzie interrupted, moving towards Rick, "I thought it was **my** job to throw down with the walkers?"  
"Glenn, you, Maggie and Beth draw as many as you can over there," Rick said as he pointed back down the walkway, "pop 'em through the fence. Daryl, go back to the other tower, Carol, you're with him- you're a pretty good shot, just take your time."  
Lizzie scowled at Rick's pairing, catching Daryl's eye and watching as he shrugged.  
"Hershel, you and Carl take this tower, I'll run for the gate with you," he nodded, turning to Lizzie, "keep you covered up close."  
"Here," Glenn says, handing Rick a clamp to lock the top gate with, "good luck."

"Go ahead," Rick said, handing the clamp to Lizzie, "sure you can handle it."  
"Oh yeah," Lizzie grinned, tucking it into her belt as she clutched her axe in both hands, "let's fuckin' **do** this!"  
As the others began to run along the walkway, shouting and yelling, banging their weapons on the fence, Lizzie and Rick made their way towards the gate, being lead by Lori.  
They paused awkwardly for a second, Lizzie trying to ignore the strained silence between them, before Lori pulled the gate open and Lizzie and Rick slipped inside.

They moved quickly, edging around the over-turned vehicle, both keeping focussed on the goal, trying to let the others take care of the walkers.  
"Only engage them if you have to." Rick reminded her as he grabbed her arm, stopping her from running off and cutting them down.  
She nodded and took off at a run towards the gate. The path was surprisingly clear, the walkers still ambling around aimlessly or swarming towards the clamour at the fence, and she had no trouble getting up there.

The gunshots echoed around her, picking off the walkers one by one as they began to turn towards her and Rick. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, making sure he was still behind her.  
"Go, **go**!" He shouted, spurring her forwards.  
She nodded and began to run again, cutting down a walker that was stumbling towards her.

As she reached the top of the slight hill, she swallowed hard and took a deep breath- the yard beyond the gate wasn't swarming with walkers, but there were plenty milling around the gate to get her heart pumping.  
_Concentration, concentration, concentration... _She reminded herself as she lunged for the gate, dropping her axe as she grabbed it with both hands, putting her weight behind it and dragging it across, wincing a little as it hit the fence, jolting her arms.

She yanked the clamp free from her belt and attached it to the gate, drawing her hand back quickly as the walkers crashed into the other side, their teeth gnashing in front of her.  
After a brief struggle in which she tried to stop her fingers from being bitten off, she managed to attach it to the fence, securing the gate.  
"**Yes**!" She whooped, jumping back and grinning in delight.  
"Lizzie!" Rick called, snapping her back to her senses, "**Walkers**!"

She spun around and let out a gasp as she saw the walkers advancing on them, the noise at the fence not holding their attention.  
"Shit." She whispered as she scrambled forwards, grabbing her axe from the ground and instantly bringing it up as she stood, embedding it through the chin of the walker closest to her.  
She pulled it free, letting out a cry as she spun around, lodging it in the second walkers neck and being forced to let it go, drawing her machete instead.

"No time, get inside!" Rick hissed as he ran to her, grabbing her wrist and dragging her towards the door of the closest guard tower.  
"But I...!" She began in vain, looking forlornly at her discarded weapon.  
Rick swung the door open and pushed Lizzie inside, following her closely and ushering her up the stairs.  
She clambered up the ladder at the top and pushed open the trapdoor above her, climbing out into the fresh air once again and moving towards the railing.

The grassed area had become a shooting gallery, everyone firing at the remaining walkers to put them down. Rick joined in as Lizzie leaned against the railing, watching the bloodshed beneath her.  
At times like this, she almost wished she had been swayed in learning to use a gun but her upbringing still stopped her- different as the world may be now, she was certain her parents would still disapprove of her using firearms.  
"This is a good find," Rick said as the last walker fell, draping his arm over Lizzie's shoulder and pulling her against him in an impromptu and surprising half-hug, "thank you."

They made their way back down the tower, reaching the ground as the others hurried through the gate. Carol was clearly excited, running ahead and looking around in wonder.  
"We haven't had this much room since the farm!" She cried, smiling broadly.  
"Oh geez." Lizzie muttered as she rolled her eyes. She saw the fallen walker that had claimed her axe and she stepped towards it, bending down to wrench it free and wiping the blade on the leg of her jeans.

"Lizzie!" Carl called as he ran towards her, grinning from ear to ear.  
"Nice shootin' kid," she grinned as she opened her arms to embrace him, "kept those pesky things off my back like a pro."  
"You okay?" Daryl asked coolly as he approached.  
"You jealous?" She asked, smirking a little as she let go of Carl and stepped towards him with her arms outstretched, "Plenty of Lizzie to go around!"  
"Dammit woman, don't embarrass me!" He snapped as he stepped back.  
"Aww, c'mon baby, gimme a hug!" She whined, jumping at him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He held her, lifting her off her feet, despite himself, trying not to smile as she pressed her lips to his cheek roughly. When he set her down again they looked at each other for a moment, letting the words pass between them silently before they let go, both smiling.  
"So what's the plan?" Lizzie asked as she turned back to look at Rick.  
"Me, T and Glenn will get the cars, the rest of you sit tight and get comfy," he nodded, smiling at them, "we're home."


	6. Chapter 6

The men made it back to the prison just before the daylight faded, bringing the trucks full of supplies as well as a couple of extra rabbits that Daryl had picked up on the way to make up for returning empty handed earlier.  
While he'd been gone, Lizzie had pulled the damned owl from her backpack- emptying it out after sniffing it in disdain, hoping a little fresh air would take the stink right out her clothes- and set about trying to clean it up as best she could without his guidance.

He'd taught her a fair share of survival skills, mostly how to hunt effectively and how to prepare her own food- after the first rabbit cleaning vomit-fest, he'd figured he'd better break her in slowly and surely... And it was starting to work.  
Maggie had teased her at first, calling her Mrs Redneck but Lizzie assured her that she didn't enjoy the food one bit and she wasn't lying- she'd sell her soul for a burger and fries and the things she'd do for a pizza didn't bear thinking about! - but it was sustenance and she needed it to survive- they all did- so she swallowed it, quite literally.

Hershel had sat with her as she cleaned the bird, telling her a story about his wife and the first time she'd attempted to kill, clean and cook a chicken. It succeeded in making Lizzie feel a lot better about her somewhat shaky attempt- at least she hadn't run around the yard screaming, being chased by a headless chicken.  
Their relationship had changed considerably over the winter months- any animosity that had remained between them following Lizzie's time on the farm had faded fast, he treated her like a third daughter now. It may have been because she took the role of Protector (capitalising it made her feel important) or maybe because her and Maggie were so close... Or maybe he just liked her.

When Daryl dismounted his bike, clad in his oh-so-not-sexy poncho, she smiled brightly at him and leapt up, collecting up the cuts of meat she'd prepared and presenting them to him proudly.  
"Looks good." He said, nodding approvingly.  
"That all I'm gettin'? That it looks good?" She asked, frowning up at him.  
"Well it sure as hell ain't the best lookin' bird I ever seen," he shrugged as he walked past her, towards the others, listening as she grumbled something under her breath before he looked over his shoulder and smirked, "coz that'd be you."

She smiled and rolled her eyes as she followed him towards the others, bumping him with her hip as she drew alongside.  
"Big softie." She muttered, making sure no one else could hear.  
"Fuck off." He grinned, shaking his head.  
"Now Lizzie's kindly prepared dinner for us," Hershel said warmly as she handed him the tray of meat, "and if she doesn't mind, I'd like to be the one to cook it."  
"Seriously, you go ahead," she nodded happily, "I ain't much of the domestic type."  
"Don't I fuckin' know it." Daryl sighed dramatically, earning himself a punch on the arm.

"Hey Lizzie," Carl called, pulling a pack of cards from his bag, "wanna play?"  
"Deal me in," she nodded, looking up at Daryl, "wanna join us?"  
"Nah, you go ahead," he said quickly, shaking his head, "someone needs to keep a lookout."  
"We're locked in a prison yard, surrounded by fences... I think we're pretty safe." She said quietly.  
"Someone needs to keep a lookout." He repeated, ending their little exchange.  
"Whatever." She sighed, rolling her eyes and turning away from him.

She flopped down on the grass opposite Carl, rolling on to her stomach and resting her chin on her hands.  
"Looks like it's jus' you an' me kiddo." She said glumly.  
"Deal me in," Beth said brightly as she sat down to Lizzie's right, "it's been a while since we've all had a game."  
"Oh hell, I'll join in too," T said as he ambled over, "ain't gonna hurt nobody, right?"

Lizzie smiled as she looked at the others and nodded to Carl, looking over her shoulder one last time to see Daryl's lone figure standing atop the overturned truck by the gate.  
_He's up there for you; _she thought to herself as she smiled sadly, _makin' sure you stay safe no matter what.  
_She loved him for it, for caring enough about her to keep a watch when it was really unnecessary, but sometimes she wished he'd just let it go and join in.  
_In time, _she thought, turning her attention back to the others, _in time..._

* * *

When Hershel had prepared the owl to the best of his ability, they all settled down to eat- Lori asked Carl to pack the cards away, he couldn't play and eat at the same time, so their little group dispersed, Beth moving back towards her father and Lizzie settling herself between Carl and T.  
Rick didn't join them- he was too busy pacing the fence atop the hill- and Daryl had barely looked in their direction since he'd gone to stand guard.  
Lizzie watched Carol as she plated up some of the leftovers and stood up, making sure she gave the younger woman a cool stare before she turned and walked towards Daryl. Lizzie swallowed and gritted her teeth- it wouldn't be worth it.

"Tomorrow we'll pull the biters together, wanna keep them away from that water," T said looking around the others, "now if we can get a canal under that fence we'll have plenty of fresh water."  
"This soil is good," Hershel added, nodding to his companion, "we could plant some seed, grow some tomatoes, cucumber, soy beans..."  
"Providin' he deems this place as safe," Lizzie interjected, nodding towards Rick, "if he don't, then we'll be moved on in the mornin'."  
"That's his third time around," Hershel said as he pointed to the Sheriff, "if there was any part of it compromised, he'dve found it by now."

Lizzie sighed and nodded, knowing Hershel spoke the truth- Rick wasn't stupid, he wouldn't let them stay if he suspected their location wasn't safe. She glanced across to where Carol was approaching her man, watching as he stooped to help pull her atop the truck and she rolled her eyes, sighing loudly and pushing herself up, heading up towards Rick.  
Hershel watched her go and turned to look over his shoulder, frowning a little at the scene before him. He knew Daryl and Carol were friends; they weren't as close as Carol would have liked but the events of the farm, what had happened to Carol's daughter, had bought them closer. He knew Lizzie had nothing to worry about- Daryl was hers, hook, line and sinker, no doubt about it- but he understood the mutual dislike between the two women.

"S'up boss?" Lizzie asked as she stopped in front of Rick, gazing up at the buildings beyond the fence, "You're missin' some scintillating conversation down there."  
"I just wanna be sure," he replied, following her gaze, "this is a good find, a great find, and I wanna make sure that it's right for us."  
"How's it lookin' so far?" She asked.  
"We can take it," he nodded, his voice filled with certainty, "we can clear it out one section at a time until we're sure it's safe."

Lizzie glanced over her shoulder again and saw Daryl move behind Carol and begin to rub her shoulder. There wasn't anything remotely romantic about it but she still felt her stomach knot at the sight of his hands on that woman. She whirled back around to Rick, blinking furiously to remove the image from her mind.  
"Then what?" She asked, "When we're sure it's safe, then what happens?"  
"Nothing," he said quietly, a small smile playing on his lips, "we just survive."

They stood in silence for a few seconds, both looking at the prison, looking at their future, when Beth's voice reached their ears. She was singing- beautifully, Lizzie thought- and it grabbed their attention. They didn't know the song but it didn't matter- to hear someone singing anything, especially with such a clear voice as hers, was bound to touch a cord.  
Her love affair with the guitar- something Brad had taught her way back when- had been short-lived. After her impromptu performance at the farm, she hadn't touched an instrument since- in fairness, they didn't have a guitar anymore and it had never been something on the top of her 'things to take in a supply run' list... But now, hearing Beth's voice, she felt a little pang for something of her own to make music with. Besides Daryl, of course.

"C'mon," Lizzie said, touching his wrist, "save it for the mornin'."  
Rick nodded and followed her back down to the others. Daryl and Carol were also rejoining the others and he looked across at Lizzie and smiled shyly, lifting his arm as a signal for her to go to him but she looked away, standing firm and wrapping her arms around herself.  
Maggie joined Beth in her song and Lizzie felt herself relax a little, closing her eyes at the sound of their singing and breathing out heavily. When they finished, the opened her eyes and smiled at them both.  
"Beautiful." Hershel said, meeting her gaze and returning her smile, watching as she nodded- he'd took the words right out of her mouth.

"Best turn in," Rick suggested, "I'll take watch over there. We got a big day tomorrow."  
"I didn't literally mean to save it 'til the mornin'." Lizzie said as she looked at him.  
"I know we're all exhausted, this was a great win but we gotta push a little bit more," he looked around at their grim faces, "most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners, looks like this place fell pretty early, looks like supplies could be intact..."  
"Weapons, food an' medicine, right?" Lizzie asked.

"Armoury won't be inside the prison itself but it won't be too far away; warden's office would have information on the location." Rick explained.  
"All stuff we could use... This place's got 'goldmine' written all over it." Lizzie smiled, looking up at the buildings.  
"We're dangerously low on ammo," Hershel warned, trying to bring both Rick and Lizzie back down to earth, "we'd run out before we even made a dent."  
"I don't need no ammo," Lizzie pointed out, "we get our knives, our melee selection, an' go in tight, section 'em off an'..."

"It's too dangerous," Daryl said, cutting her off, "can't go runnin' in there, expectin' to kill 'em all..."  
"I ain't gonna try to kill 'em all," she snapped, "jus' gotta take out enough of 'em to clear out the next bit, then start again an' again an' again."  
"You need to stop bein' so damn reckless." He mumbled, shaking his head.  
"An' you need to stop bein' such an ass." She returned, pulling a face at him.  
"After everything we've been through," Rick said, raising his voice and giving them both warning glances, silencing their argument, "we can handle it."

With that, Rick stood and took his leave, nodding to Lizzie as he passed her to show he was grateful of her support. She smiled at him as she stepped aside to let him pass, watching as Lori stood as quickly as her belly would allow and began to walk after her husband.  
"Hey," Daryl said quietly from her side, "you gonna talk to me or what?"  
"Or what," she shrugged, shaking her head, "I ain't got nothin' to say."  
"Jesus woman, what's your fuckin' problem?" He asked, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him.

She looked up at him angrily, looking back over her shoulder at the others who were all trying ever so hard to pretend they couldn't hear a word of what they were saying, and grabbed his wrist, dragging him a few feet away from the group so they could speak.  
"My problem? You **really** gotta ask me that?" She asked, snorting, "Try that you won't play some **stupid** card game with me but you're perfectly happy to go **rubbin'** you hands all over your BFF over there."  
She stroked his chest violently with both her hands just to hammer her point home.

"You're mad at me coz I didn't wanna play cards?" He asked slowly, frowning at her.  
"Are you fuckin' **kiddin'** me?" She sighed, exasperated, "It's more the **other** thing!"  
"Why the hell're you so caught up on that? It wasn't like it meant anythin'!" He hissed.  
"Then why'd you fuckin' do it?" She asked, "You know how I feel about her an'..."  
"An' **you** know how **I** feel about her," he countered, "it's a small group, these people're all we got now... Why bother hatin' them?"

"After what she did to us, what she **tried** to do to us **time** an' **time** again, you expect me to jus' **forgive** her?" She asked.  
"I don't see why you can't." He shrugged."  
"I don't see why **you** can," she sighed, running her hand through her hair, "I know you're like friends an' all an' hey, **whatever**, be my **fuckin'** guest, but it ain't gonna happen for me, it ain't **never** gonna happen- I wouldn't piss on that bitch if she was on fire."  
"Wouldya piss on me if I was on fire?" He asked, smirking a little.

"Is there even a right answer to that?" She asked with a frown, taking a second to think before she spoke next, "I would piss on you Daryl Dixon, I would piss on you good an' proper."  
"Dirty bitch." He grinned, watching as she tried not to smile at him.  
"But you love it, right?" She asked.  
"I do," he said softly, reaching for her hands and squeezing them gently, "more than anyone else."

She looked down at their hands and sighed to herself.  
"I'm sorry," she said finally, looking up at him, "I jus' really hate that bitch an' it winds me up when you're all pally pally with her."  
"I know, I'm sorry too," he nodded, "could always jus' kill her an' get it over with."  
"Don't lie to me," she said quietly, shaking her head, "I know you wouldn't."  
"I'd cover for you, though." He smirked.  
"Man, don't fuckin' tempt me!" She whined, grinning at him as she began to walk backwards, pulling him along with her back to the others.

"Everything alright?" Hershel asked as they sat down.  
"Hunky fuckin' dory." Lizzie smiled, making sure she gave Carol an extra bright smile for sheer devilment.  
"Rick's right about turning in," he said, stroking Beth's arm lightly, "it'll be busy tomorrow."  
Everyone began to fidget around as they tried to settle down, picking out spaces on the grass surrounding the fire. Lizzie reached for her backpack and pulled it under her head, using it as a makeshift pillow.  
"G'night." She said softly to Daryl as he dipped his face towards hers and kissed her quickly. He wasn't one for cuddling up and getting all cosy- not like Glenn and Maggie.

She felt him lie down behind her and, much to her surprise, he pulled her backwards, against his body and tried to drape his poncho over her as much as he could.  
"Didn't think you were the spoonin' type?" She asked, trying not to smile.  
"It's gettin' cool, we need the body heat." He replied, nuzzling against her hair, breathing her in.  
"Liar." She whispered, taking hold of his hand and entwining her fingers through his.  
"Shush now," he replied, closing his eyes as he held her close, "get some sleep while you can."


	7. Chapter 7

Lizzie's eyes snapped open and she blinked rapidly, trying to will herself awake faster, aware that something had pulled her from her sleep. She held her breath, listening hard as she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, seeing if she could pick up on any sound that may have woken her.  
_There ain't nothin' there, _she told herself as she let out a breath and opened her eyes again, turning her head slightly so she could just about see the top of Daryl's head behind her, _you're jus' freakin' out, been too long since you guys were really safe an' you jus' need to get used to it again, right?_

She shifted her position slightly, trying not to dislodge Daryl's arm from her waist- he was still wrapped around her and she could hardly believe how natural it felt to her. He wasn't really one for the whole spooning thing, he never really had been. There had been occasions where he'd laid next to her or close to her but there was never much cuddling going on between them- she couldn't make up her mind whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Sure, she was partial to a cuddle once in a while but this... _Practically bein' suffocated in your damn sleep? Count me out.  
_She chuckled to herself and let out a happy sigh. _Daryl Dixon snugglin' me so hard in bed I got uncomfortable? Who'dve thunk it? _She smiled to herself as she closed her eyes again, _helluva story to tell the grankids...  
_Before she could scald herself for such a thought- _not that I'm one to go gettin' broody or nothin' –_the sound of someone coughing reached her ears.

Her eyes shot open and her heart began to pound in her chest because she was pretty damn certain that the cough had come from somewhere behind her. She swallowed again and licked her lips.  
"Guys?" She hissed, her eyes darting around the sleeping bodies before her as she searched for signs of life, "Anyone awake?"  
She felt her heart rate rise again when she realised that everyone was present in front of her- Rick had given up on his watch and was sleeping soundly with the others, no one had seen fit to take over his guard duty.

She took Daryl's wrist and gently slid it from her waist, wriggling away from him before she sat up and gazed around the field. She jumped a little as Daryl snorted, emitting a sigh before he rolled on to his stomach, occupying the space Lizzie had vacated.  
_Maybe it was jus' one of these guys coughin' in their sleep, _she thought as she crawled forwards and knelt on the ground, resting her backside on her feet as she looked around them again, _maybe you're jus' goin' crazy an' imaginin' things an'..._

As the coughing sound came again, she let out a little yelp and fell to the ground as she spun around, staring towards the gate they had entered through, her heart almost stopping as she saw a lone figure standing on top of the overturned truck. She couldn't tell which way they were facing but it didn't matter- they'd got in, they were in the field with the others and that meant they weren't safe.  
_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit... _She thought as she sat frozen for a few seconds before she scrambled across the grass to Daryl and began to shake him.

"Daryl? Daryl, baby, c'mon, wake up!" When he didn't rouse, her shaking became more frantic, her voice rising as much as she dared let it without alerting the stranger to her presence, "Goddamn it Daryl, wake the fuck up!"  
He grunted a little, muttering something inaudible, and turned his head away from her but he didn't wake- she was alone in this one.

She contemplated giving him a good slap, see if he could sleep through **that**, but as she raised her gaze to the truck again, the silhouette of the figure was now gone. If she woke Daryl now and told him what she'd seen, there was a good chance that he wouldn't believe her and it would be pegged down to her "nightmares".  
_You're a big girl, you can look after yourself, _she thought as she took another deep breath, reaching for her machete as she let it out, _'specially if there ain't owt there an' you're jus' freakin' over nothin'... As **usual**..._

She reached for her flashlight and flicked it on, shining it across the grass to make sure the figure wasn't making its way towards them. When she was satisfied that, for the time being, they were alone, she pushed herself to her feet.  
_Alright Lizzie, time to suck it up an' check things out, _she thought, trying to psych herself up.

As she strode across the field, flicking the flashlight on every few steps to scan her surroundings, she wished she had just settled back down to sleep. She could have nuzzled up against her man, breathing him in and feeling safe with him there to protect her... But instead she was hot-footing it across the field, chasing ghosts.  
_An' you thought your life was gonna be **borin'**,_ she rolled her eyes, _then the zombie apocalypse happened an' the rest, as they say, is fuckin' history._

When she reached the truck, she still hadn't seen any sign of anyone else in the field but she wasn't about to take any chances, not now. She slid around the side of the truck, peering around it to make sure she wasn't about to be ambushed. When she saw the coast was clear, she moved around to the gate and shone the light into the darkness, squinting as she searched for any sign of movement.

She wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or simply her own paranoia but she thought she saw something move out there- something that was too quick to be a walker.  
She took a breath and stepped backwards, closing her eyes as she tried to steady her heartbeat again. _C'mon Lizzie, don't lose it now,_ she scolded herself, looking up at the truck behind her.

_Better to be safe than sorry, _she decided, turning towards it and finding whatever footing she could on the underbelly, dragging herself up so she had a better vantage point.  
She flicked her light on again and peered down at their vehicles, left outside, making sure that there was no one hiding around them. When she was satisfied, she swept the beam across the open land beyond the fence. She could see nothing.

_Guess you were wrong this time girl, _she though, letting out a sigh as she frowned, _better jus' keep your eyes peeled tomorrow an'...  
_Somebody coughed behind her. She let out a strangled cry of surprise and spun around with her weapon raised but the person easily predicted her reaction, grabbing her wrist in their hand and twisting viciously. She felt the bones crack and the machete fell at her feet.  
She stepped back, cradling her broken wrist to her chest as she looked up in horror, grabbing for her light and shining it into the eyes of her attacker, hoping to blind them enough for her to make her escape.  
When she raised her gaze, she felt her blood run cold and she screamed... It was Mark.

His skin was mottled green, peeling away at his right temple and his right cheek, exposing the shiny white skull beneath. There was blood dripping down his neck and another gaping wound on his chest, his vest being more red than white and beginning to crust.  
He gave her a leering grin as he laughed- it came out as a terrible, sloppy wet sound, deep in his chest.

"S'up there 'lil sis'?" He drawled, his voice rasping as he spoke, "Screamin' ain't gonna do you no good, no one's gonna hear, no one's gonna come."  
She tried to speak but she couldn't find the right words to express her emotions, her mouth opened and closed uselessly as she stared in horror at her brother. She tried to back away but his arm shot out and grabbed her by the throat, pulling her close- a lot closer than she cared to be.

"Ahh, you ain't goin' anywhere," he grinned, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, "you're stayin' right here with me."  
"Jesus..." She croaked, "Go... Fuck... Yourself..."  
She saw something flash in the darkness and she realised he was holding a knife. She struggled against his grip but it was to no avail- she wasn't going anywhere, he had her right where he wanted her.  
"Welcome to hell." He smiled, his face full of malice as his left arm shot forwards, embedding the knife in her stomach.

She tried to call out and rouse her friends (_I screamed, I screamed, why ain't nobody comin'?) _but she couldn't speak, his grip had all but crushed her windpipe. He let out a cruel laugh and stepped forwards, forcing her limp body to move with him before, with one final shove, he pushed her from the truck and she hit the floor with a thud.

* * *

Finally, she broke from her nightmare- the sudden jolt of hitting the dirt forcing her back to reality, her eyes shooting open as she took in a huge gulp of air and cried out in sheer terror.  
She was vaguely aware of the people around her beginning to move, some shouting in panic as they woke, but she couldn't stop herself- it hadn't been a dream, it had been a sign, he was here, she knew it, she could feel it.

"Lizzie!" Daryl cried in a panic, rolling to his knees and leaning over her, grabbing at her hands as they tried to scratch his face, "Dammit Lizzie, it was just a dream!"  
"**No**!" She screamed, the tears finally falling from her eyes, trailing towards her ears as she lay on the floor, "He's here! He's here! It ain't **safe**!"  
"The hell is wrong with her?" T asked as he hurried to her side, trying to help Daryl pin her down as she struggled against him.  
"I dunno," Daryl replied, the worry clear on his face, "Jesus girl, jus' fuckin' talk to me."

"He was over there!" She screamed, pulling her arms free from Daryl's grasp and pointing towards the gate, "I saw him, he was there an' he..."  
"There ain't no one there," Daryl tried to soothe her, "Rick's comin' on over to see what all the shoutin's about."  
"It isn't Rick, don't let him come over!" She begged, pushing T away from her and flopping onto her front, scrabbling across the grass as she tried to get away from the oncoming danger, "He's gonna kill me!"

"Ain't no one gonna kill you while I'm around..." He began, reaching for her ankle as she made her escape. As soon has his hand closed around it, she lashed out with the other leg, catching him in the face. He was more surprised than hurt as he felt his nose explode under the blow and he let go of her, pressing his hand against his face and looking down to see the blood running down his fingers.

Everyone was talking at once, asking questions, wanting to know what was happening and why Lizzie had been screaming, why she was desperately trying to crawl away from some invisible attacker.  
Daryl ignored them, his attention fixed on his woman as she crawled away from him. He'd never seen her so spooked in his life and it worried him more than he wanted to admit. He'd known the nightmares had been plaguing her but he'd never seen her affected so badly and he was trying to piece together what she'd screamed at him, what exactly it was that she was so scared about.

_**Mark**. _The thought suddenly hit him and he pushed himself to his feet and hurried after her, circling around her and dropping to his knees in her path, holding his hands up in surrender, hoping she'd stop when she saw he wasn't trying to restrain her.  
She looked up at him, her eyes wild and scared, her breathing sharp and ragged as she trembled beneath his gaze.

"You gonna listen to me or you gonna kick me in the face again?" He asked quietly.  
"You don't understand, he's here Daryl, I saw him an'..." She began, her voice shaking.  
"He ain't here baby, what'd you tell me?" He reached for her hand slowly, "He's banged up in Central, right? He ain't here."  
She seemed to falter at his logic, only managing to shake her head weakly as she clung to his hand for dear life.

"He had a **knife**," she breathed, "he had a **knife** an' he **used** it on me, I **felt** it..."  
"Jus' like when he used one on you when you were kids? It felt like that, right?" He asked, watching as she nodded slowly, "It's jus' a memory, a bad memory that gave you a bad dream."  
"No..." She whispered, shaking her head as she cried, "It wasn't a dream Daryl, I saw..."  
"Lizzie, you didn't see nothin'," he whispered, shaking his head sadly, his heart breaking at the look on her face- she was convinced that what she had seen was real and her face crumpled when she realised that it had, in fact, been a dream. He tugged at her arm a little, "c'mere."

She shot forwards, her arms encircling his body as she nestled her face against his chest, as she cried. She'd hit him with such force that he'd nearly toppled right over but, somehow, he managed to only fall onto his behind and stay in an upright position.  
He stroked her hair and kissed her head, whispering to her, trying to calm her down as she cried against him. He looked up as Rick approached.

"The hell's goin' on over here?" Rick asked, looking down at them.  
"Lizzie had a bad dream," he said quietly, shaking his head, "I got it."  
"She carries on screaming and shouting, she'll bring the walkers down on us," Rick warned, "she's already scared everyone half to death and..."  
"I **got** it," Daryl repeated more forcefully, looking around at the others as he cradled her in his arms, "I got it."

He sat there, holding her, as the others began to settle down again. Rick rejoined them, sending Glenn off on guard duty, and he eyed Lizzie cautiously.  
Daryl glared at him, warning him away and he soon settled down next to his son, turning his back on them as he tried to get some sleep.  
"If she doesn't settle," Hershel said, nodding to him, "I've got something to help her sleep."  
"She'll be fine," Daryl replied a little too forcefully, "thanks."

"I'm sorry," Lizzie sobbed quietly, "I'm so sorry."  
"C'mon," he said, kissing her forehead, "let's go back to bed."  
He stood, pulling her up with him before he bent down, scooping her legs out from underneath her and lifting her in his arms like a child. She held on to him for dear life as he carried her the few steps back to the patch of grass they'd made their little camp on.

He laid her down gently, holding her hand as he rummaged through his pack for a blanket to throw over her. When he was satisfied that she'd be warm enough he settled down next to her, rolling on his side so they were face to face.  
Her big green eyes still looked scared and he stroked her face, pushing her hair away so he could see her better. He held the back of her neck and pulled her forwards so their foreheads were touching.

"Ain't no one gonna hurt you while I'm around, y'hear?" He said quietly, "Anyone so much as even thinks about it, they gotta get through me first," he closed his eyes, "I ain't gonna let nothin' bad happen to you, not ever," he heard his voice begin to crack a little as he spoke, "I love you too much for that, I'd die for you, you hear?"  
He felt her nod against him and he lifted his head a little so their lips met. He kissed her hard, wanting her to know that he meant every word he'd said, but he had to stop- he could feel the emotion boiling up in him and tears began to prick his eyes.

"C'mon now," he said quietly, pulling away from her and shifting a little so she could rest her head against his chest, "let's get some sleep."  
He held her close until her breathing evened out and she went limp against him, sleep taking her once again... But he didn't sleep at all again that night.


End file.
